Agenda item

The CSP considered the new strategy in development to combat serious youth violence. The CSP were advised that the purpose of the Young People at Risk Strategy was to prevent serious youth violence and improve outcomes for young people at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators. A key focal point was to reduce the number of young people in the criminal system and those involved in crime. Particular emphasis would be placed on prevention and early intervention, seeking to nurture the protective factors that help young people to stay safe and keep them on a positive path. The strategy would propose a vision communities celebrated and one that nurtured young people. It was emphasised that it would be essential to support young people to grow up safe from harm.

The CSP was informed that the strategy focused on ensuring that the following key outcomes were met:

• young people were safe, and felt safe from violence;
• young people had good mental health; and
• young people had positive aspirations.

To achieve the above, there would be a greater focus on a preventative approach. This included addressing and identifying factors which would identify young people before they became at more significant risk of becoming victims of violent crime. The CSP was informed that the Council would intervene or enable partners to intervene as early as possible in a young person’s life if they were at risk of becoming a victim or perpetrator of violent crime. Families, communities and schools were at the heart of this approach.

The MPS and authorities were recognised as being crucial in playing lead roles to ensure that the outcomes of the strategy were achieved. Additionally, it was noted that significant partner engagement needed to take place with schools, communities and families to see what different roles actors and agencies should be taking.

The CSP was notified of the timeline of the Young People at Risk Strategy, which was as follows:

• a needs analysis in July 2018;
• an evidence review in August 2018;
• a practice review in September 2018;
• partner engagement in October 2018; and
• Presented to Cabinet in January 2019.

The CSP was asked to consider its view on whether the Council had the right vision for the strategy and how organisations represented in the CSP could contribute to achieving the outcomes identified above.

The following points were raised in discussion:

• The co-producing of the strategy between the Council’s partners, communities and young people was welcomed but that housing needed representation and true co-producing involved families. In response, it was noted that housing participation was welcomed in the strategy and acknowledged that the voice of young people would be essential to this piece of work.

• Significant data existed elsewhere, such as in New York and Glasgow, where similar strategies had been created. It was acknowledged that such data and information was useful and issues like mediation would be looked into to ascertain how effective they had been elsewhere and whether they should be replicated in the Strategy.

• It would be important to assist community groups that do valuable work with young people. The community wanted to know that the Council provided support around safeguarding and to know related support and training was available. 

• A needs assessment was being created to identify those who might be at greater risk of violence. Data being used to facilitate this was: housing data; looking at specific groups of identified vulnerable people; those under child protection plans; those already in the youth justice system; and information about children who were frequently absent from school or those excluded.

RESOLVED

To note the presentation and above comments  which would feed into the development of the strategy.